Book Cover Design Contest

Here's a fun little contest that I joined over at Teralyn Pilgrim's blog site, A Writer's Journey. The object is to design a book cover and post it on your site on August 31st. with a link to her site.

Then go over to Teralyn's site, scroll down to the linky thingy and visit each contestant to see their book cover design. Once you've seen them all, go back to the linky list and vote for your favorite covers by clicking "like" next to the three covers you like best.

Come back on September 7th to see who the winners are! (BTW, you don't have to be a contestant to vote - everyone can vote. So please go to the polling station and vote!)

Simple, right?

You'd think so, except for the anally-inclined. Yes, I'm talking about me. I knew exactly what I had in mind and spent hours (and hours, and hours) looking for the pictures I had in mind. And couldn't find what I wanted! *sigh* Because what I really wanted would have to be done professionally....after a book deal....and a movie deal. *sigh*

Well, I always do have to make things harder than they really are!

Anyway, once I came back down to earth, it was rather easy. I made use of what I had (I mean skill-wise) and this is what I came up with. I really sorta like it, imperfect as it is!

Now traditionally, the blogsites with the most followers wins these things, so here are the official rules according to Teralyn:

RULES:

• People with the most followers on their blog always win these contests. It takes all the fun out of it. Please be fair and vote for ones that deserve it.
• Don't open an entry or vote on one just because it has a lot of likes; that's not fair either.
• Don't vote for yourself three times. That's just sad.

Let the Games begin!

Caution: Blogfest Ahead!!!

Here is the second warning notification of my upcoming Blogoversary and planned Blogfest in September.

My first blogoversary is in 15 days! This past blogging year has gone by so fast and I’ve really had a lot fun doing it. So to celebrate, I am going to host my very first Blogfest:

The Judge and Jury Blogfest

All Rise! The Judge (me) enters the courtroom. My Jury consists of the first twelve (12) bloggers to sign up for this Blogfest. Now – Round Up the Usual Suspects and we’ll have a trial!

Everyone who enters the Blogfest is a Suspect (including the Jury – they’re not getting off with a slap on the wrist. But not me – cuz I’m Da Judge). The Jury will vote on the Suspect guilty of writing the best defense scene. Any tie votes will be decided by the Judge.

HOW DO I PLAY?

Every Suspect (remember, this includes the Jury) must write a short defense scene in 300 words or less (a short intro to the scene is acceptable). It can be about anything legal or illegal, minor or major. A stolen kiss, cheating, robbery – even murder! It does not have to involve the law or court. Feel like sharing a scene from your manuscript? Cool! Or maybe a scene from a short story you’ve written? Awesome! It only has to be a scene where someone defends themselves against something.

WHAT ARE THE RULES?

• The blogfest will run from Monday, September 5 – Saturday, September 10. 
•  At 12:01am Monday, September 5, a linky tool will go live on Run Gwen, Run! 
• Post your entry on your blog and then add a direct link to your post to the linky tool on my blog before 11:59 p.m. September 10^th.  
• Come back on Wednesday, September 14 to see the six finalists (chosen by the Jury), and then again on Saturday, September 17 to see the winners!
• All genres and forms are welcome.

WHAT ELSE SHOULD I DO?

·    Copy the Judge and Jury badge and post it as a link to the sidebar of your blog

·    Tell all your blogger friends about the blogfest

·    Go to the other contestant’s blogs and give them some comment love during the challenge week 9/5 – 9/10.

WHAT ARE THE PRIZES?

·    Each of the 12 Jurors will receive a $5 Amazon Gift Card since serving on the Jury is compulsory (According to the Judge, this should in no way be construed as a bribe!)

·    A $10 Amazon Gift Card booby prize will be awarded randomly to a new follower – I’ve already picked out the Follower’s number. You may already be a winner!

·    Third place prize is a $5 Amazon Gift Card

·    Second place prize is a $10 Amazon Gift Card

·    FIRST PRIZE is a $15 Amazon Gift Card

AND NOW...I HAVE A CONFESSION TO MAKE

*Dramatic courtroom music plays – the kind from the old black and white movies*

I am Guilty. I mean really, really, really, Guilty...of wanting more Followers. I have 35 of the dearest Followers right now, but for this blogfest to be really successful, I need more. More, more, more. So I’m throwing myself on the mercy of the blogger court. Please spread the word to your other blogger friends about this blogfest, and if they have as much fun as I’m hoping, maybe they’ll Follow me!

Whew! I feel lighter already. Confession really is good for the soul.

PLEASE leave a comment to let me know your thoughts! It’s my very first time hosting a Blogfest, so any advice is welcome.

Why We Run: A Pictograph

People have been trying to answer the question, "Why do we run?" for years.

Sometimes the answer is really deep.

And sometimes, the answer goes more like this:

Why do pretty girls dress up like this.....

To do this.....

And end up doing this.....

And this.....

And this......

And this.......

Only to end up like this.....?

Is it for this.......?

Or this.......?

Sometimes...but there's so much more.

Because you can go here......

And have this......

Before you go here....

But the REAL reason we run......?

Is for this.......

That's Right!

Fuzzy Viking Helmets...

And the Beer...

And the T-Shirt...

And the Medal...

But most of all?!

FRIENDS AND FUN!!!

I would like to thank my models, Amber and Shiloh, for participating in this Warrior Dash 2011 Pictograph.





Third Writers' Platform-Building Campaign

The Third Writers' Platform-Building Campaign has begun. Hosted by Rach Harrie over at Rach Writes, this campaign is a way to meet and make connections within the writing community through blogfests and contests. You'll meet writers just like you, who are at various stages in their writing. You'll make new  friends, perhaps even find a critique partner or beta reader, within the same genre. By blog hopping to participants blogs and leaving comments, you'll be paying the support forward and help them to build their online platform while building your own. You may even get a new follower or two!

Just click on the links to the Third Writers' Platform-Building Campaign to get more details. Or, go directly to this linky thingy to sign up.

It should be a load of fun! I hope you'll join.

It's National Joke Day - Who Knew?!

Today is National Joke Day! Who Knew?

So Without Further Ado, Here is My Contribution!

Three men: an editor, a photographer, and a journalist are covering a political convention in Miami. They decide to walk up and down the beach during their lunch hour. Halfway up the beach, they stumbled upon a lamp. As they rub the lamp a genie appears and says "Normally I would grant you three wishes, but since there are three of you, I will grant you each one wish."

The photographer went first. "I would like to spend the rest of my life living in a huge house in St. Thomas with no money worries." The genie granted him his wish and sent him on off to St. Thomas.

The journalist went next. "I would like to spend the rest of my life living on a huge yacht cruising the Mediterranean, with no money worries." The genie granted him his wish and sent him off.

Last, but not least, it was the editor's turn. "And what would your wish be?" asked the genie.

"I want them both back after lunch," replied the editor, "the deadline for tomorrow's newspaper is in ten hours.

---

The Cure For T.H.S.? Midnight Margaritas, Of Course!

It started slowly, so I didn’t notice it at first. Everything seemed normal. I was speeding along the homestretch to the end of my novel. Okay, so it’s not the best writing I’ve ever done! But I have to get there, whatever way I can. It doesn’t have to be pretty - I just need to finish the race.

At first I just noticed a little swaying. Cool, I thought. My characters are digging the scene. But before long their heads were actually bobbing and weaving, like Mohammad Ali; float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.

They were doing it right there on the page!

I said, “Okay, you guys, back in character – I didn’t tell you to bob! That’s not how I wrote the scene.”

Bob, weave, bob, bob, weave, bob, float, sting.

And now I’m suspicious. “Have you been drinking?” I ask incredulously. “I didn’t write that into the scene!”  

They just looked at me with their bobble heads, accusingly.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” I said. “What did I do?”

But they were no longer speaking to me.

And then it dawns on me.

The symptoms are easily recognizable: The characters in a scene that you're writing have bobbing or disembodied heads - bobbing, weaving, floating heads! It’s what happens to characters when you’re in too much of a hurry to pay attention to what you're writing. When you forget to write descriptions or settings or T.H.A.D.’s – Talking Head Avoidance Devices (the everyday things people do). Just dialogue. The reader has no idea where those characters are or what they're doing.

And the characters suffer for it.

Ohhhh, no!

My characters have contracted T.H.S.

Talking Head Syndrome!

And it’s all my fault.

What should I do?

Whatshouldidowhatshouldidowhatshouldido?

What should I do?

I should call the doctor. And so I did. 

I said, “Doctor, is there nothing I can do?”

He said:

Put the lime in the coconut, drink them both together,
Put the lime in the coconut, then you feel better,
Put the lime in the coconut, drink them both up,
Put the lime in the coconut, and call me in the moooooorning,

Huh?!

Okay - maybe I'd better write in a margarita scene. How about a Pina Colada? At least my characters will have fun while I’m trying to fix this mess.

And so, in that vein, this video is a scene from Practical Magic – Midnight Margaritas, playing the Coconut song by Harry Nilsson – you’ll recognize the lyrics above as his.

And to give more credit where it’s due, the term Talking Head Avoidance Device I got from Elizabeth George in her book, Write Away.

BTW, be prepared to get this song stuck in your head!

I Won The Liebster Blog Award!

Can you believe it?! I just received my first blog award! YAY!!! Gosh, have I put in enough exclamation points?! Should I be showing and not telling?! Forget it! I can’t think (or write, apparently) when I’m tongue tied! *jumps up and down, does happy dance*

Okay, now that I'm settled down, here is how it happened. Sharon Bayliss, over at The Blue Word blog, awarded me the Liebster Blog Award. According to my husband, who is a German linguist, it means, “Favorite” Blog. It is awarded to bloggers who have less than 200 Followers. This award spreads the word about new bloggers and gives us all a chance to know more about each other. I’m sure once people get sight of my shiny new Liebster Blog Award in my sidebar, I’ll have a lot more Followers to interact with. Yay!

Thank you, Sharon! You made my day! (I know, more exclamation points).

Now that I am a Liebster Blog winner (have I said that enough times yet?), I have the difficult task of awarding the Liebster to five of my favorite blogs. I say “difficult”, because I have so many favorites. But here it goes: *drumroll, please*

Crystal over at Little Bundle of Contradictions. http://www.littlebundleofcontradictions.com/

Crystal is a YA fiction writer very cleverly disguised as a medical transcriptionist. (I plagiarized that from her profile.) Check out her Sisterhood of the Dawn excerpts.

Heidi Windmiller at ...then She Writes

http://thenshewrites.blogspot.com/

Heidi writes science fiction and YA fiction. If you go over there now, she has some pretty good advice.

Teralyn Pilgrim at A Writer’s Journey

http://teralynpilgrim.blogspot.com/

Teralyn writes historical and mainstream fiction. A prolific blogger and very entertaining.

Cheryl at Kangaroos of the Scrubby Brush

http://www.kangaroosofthescrubbybush.com/

Cheryl writes about preserving the bush and kangaroos. Check out her stories about Merrilyn and poor Bob.

Steph at Word by Word

http://steph-wordbyword.blogspot.com/

Steph writes urban and YA fantasy. Her latest blog was very intriguing...but she’s keeping us waiting.

Okay, I knew I couldn’t keep it down to five. And even though they don’t blog often, I have to award two of my running and fitness friends with Liebster Blog Awards. Because they are always inspiring...

Tamara at Busy Mom, Healthy Life

http://tamaragomez24.blogspot.com/

Running Girl at Running-girl’s Reflections

http://runninggirlsblog.blogspot.com/

Congratulations to the winners! So now just copy the Liebster Blog and paste it into your sidebar. Then go out there and spread the love yourself. Please link back to my blog from yours and pass on the Liebster Blog Award to five of your favorites!

Blogoversary Blogfest in September!

This is just a heads up on my upcoming Blogoversary and planned Blogfest in September.

Yay! It’s almost my first blogoversary! This past blogging year has gone by so fast and I’ve really had a lot fun doing it. So to celebrate, I am going to host my very first Blogfest:

The Judge and Jury Blogfest

All Rise! The Judge (me) enters the courtroom. My Jury consists of the first twelve (12) bloggers to sign up for this Blogfest. Now – Round Up the Usual Suspects and we’ll have a trial!

Everyone who enters the Blogfest is a Suspect (including the Jury – they’re not getting off with a slap on the wrist. But not me – cuz I’m Da Judge). The Jury will vote on the Suspect guilty of writing the best defense scene. Any tie votes will be decided by the Judge.

HOW DO I PLAY?

Every Suspect (remember, this includes the Jury) must write a short defense scene in 300 words or less (a short intro to the scene is acceptable). It can be about anything legal or illegal, minor or major. A stolen kiss, cheating, robbery – even murder! It does not have to involve the law or court. Feel like sharing a scene from your manuscript? Cool! Or maybe a scene from a short story you’ve written? Awesome! It only has to be a scene where someone defends themselves against something.

WHAT ARE THE RULES?

• The blogfest will run from Monday, September 5 – Saturday, September 10. 
•  At 12:01am Monday, September 5, a linky tool will go live on Run Gwen, Run! 
• Post your entry on your blog and then add a direct link to your post to the linky tool on my blog before 11:59 p.m. September 10^th.  
• Come back on Wednesday, September 14 to see the six finalists (chosen by the Jury), and then again on Saturday, September 17 to see the winners!
• All genres and forms are welcome.

WHAT ELSE SHOULD I DO?

·    Copy the Judge and Jury badge and post it as a link to the sidebar of your blog

·    Tell all your blogger friends about the blogfest

·    Go to the other contestant’s blogs and give them some comment love during the challenge week 9/5 – 9/10.

WHAT ARE THE PRIZES?

·    Each of the 12 Jurors will receive a $5 Amazon Gift Card since serving on the Jury is compulsory (According to the Judge, this should in no way be construed as a bribe!)

·    A $10 Amazon Gift Card booby prize will be awarded randomly to a new follower – I’ve already picked out the Follower’s number. You may already be a winner!

·    Third place prize is a $5 Amazon Gift Card

·    Second place prize is a $10 Amazon Gift Card

·    FIRST PRIZE is a $15 Amazon Gift Card

AND NOW...I HAVE A CONFESSION TO MAKE

*Dramatic courtroom music plays – the kind from the old black and white movies*

I am Guilty. I mean really, really, really, Guilty...of wanting more Followers. I have 35 of the dearest Followers right now, but for this blogfest to be really successful, I need more. More, more, more. So I’m throwing myself on the mercy of the blogger court. Please spread the word to your other blogger friends about this blogfest, and if they have as much fun as I’m hoping, maybe they’ll Follow me!

Whew! I feel lighter already. Confession really is good for the soul.

PLEASE leave a comment to let me know your thoughts! It’s my very first time hosting a Blogfest, so any advice is welcome.